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| Chris Anderson's The Long Tail turned into a comic by Smarter Comics and Round Table |
Round Table, working with nonfiction comics publisher SmarterComics, will launch titles such as Larry Winget's Shut Up, Stop Whining & Get a Life and technology magazine Wired's editor-in-chief Chris Anderson's The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More in May.
The printed editions will be published first, distributed by National Book Network, and will be available through US chain and independent bookstores, Indigo Canada, and Hudson News airport bookstores - with eBook editions for IPad, iPhone and Android devices hot on their heels.
Round Table carefully selected some of the best business, self‐help and motivational books written and turned them into "lively, visually appealing comics, for a generation of readers who want valuable information in easy to understand bits," according to RTC President Corey Michael Blake.
Franco Arda, founder of SmarterComics teamed with Blake and Writers of the Round Table Inc., to package the best selling books with authors such as sales guru Tom Hopkins, the "Pitbull of Personal Development" Larry Winget, and performance psychologist Dr. John Eliot.
The range will be 60-70 pages each and should take only 30-40 minutes to read. Winget''s 229-page Stop Whining, for example, will become a 51-page comic.
Blake says the original authors agreed to exchange rights for a token USD $100 each, in return for royalty payments of 20 per cent.
With interest and enthusiasm building for the medium, Blake went on the hunt for a distribution partner who could deliver, and took an immediate liking to National Book Network, who has signed on to introduce the series and other Writers of the Round Table Press titles to the US and select international markets.
“We're always on the lookout to discover creative, well‐organized and exciting new publishers," explains John Groton, NBN’s VP of Sales. "In this case, I can honestly say we have scored in a big way; and we particularly look forward to getting the comic book series in the market place as quickly as possible.”
NBN, one of the oldest independent book distributors in the United States represents 85 publishers, and utilizes its long‐standing experience and relationships to promote books through multiple channels. “They have made us feel like family and we appreciate the enthusiasm they have for our series and our authors,” says Blake.
“In my 30 years of publishing, I have not seen anything this inventive, this fresh,” adds Gail Kump, NBN’s Vice President of Business Development.
"One thing Kump and Blake both want to make clear: these business comic books are not children’s cartoons. These are illustrated graphic novels that should be shelved in the business or self‐help sections of the bookstore, right next to the original versions. That way, a reader can choose a quick, illustrated, engaging summary, and follow up with the original version for more depth.
“I passionately believe we’re on to some revolutionary work in the book business,” Blake says. “We’re proud to spearhead this new market."
• SmarterComics will release the books digitally through the iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Kindle and other digital readers. Print volumes will sell for about USD $13 and digital versions for USD $10.
Web Links
• SmaterComics: www.smartercomics.com
• Round Table: www.roundtablecompanies.com
